


Wine

by catskardllamas



Series: Wine [1]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Family, Feel-good, How Do I Tag, oc is a mom, spencer is smitten
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:20:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26506600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catskardllamas/pseuds/catskardllamas
Summary: Hannah Cameron just wanted to pick up some cereal from the grocery store. She defiantly didn't have any intentions to talk to the cute guy in the wine aisle. She also didn't have any intentions to keep talking long after she left the store.
Relationships: Spencer Reid/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Wine [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1932949
Comments: 6
Kudos: 43





	1. Chapter 1

Chloe Penelope had decided that she was going to wear polka dots every day of her life. At least, that’s what her mom thought. The bright purple leggings were accented with spots all over in different colors. Her lime green shirt wasn’t bare, either. There were plumes of flowers along the collar. None of her outfit coordinated with itself and the three-year-old couldn’t care less.

Hannah rolled her eyes good-naturedly and stifled a chuckle when she found her toddler waiting outside the kitchen. The woman noticed her daughter was standing with her hands on her hips and completely proud of her outfit choice. Maybe one she’d be the style icon of the decade. There was no talking the child out of her clothing choices once she made up her mind.

“I’m beautiful, Mommy!” The toddler nearly shouted throughout the entire apartment, even though she was less than 6 feet away from her mother.

Hannah did chuckle at that. “Yes, Chlobug. You are very beautiful! The most beautiful one here, I do believe!”

The golden blonde child walked up to the dinner table. “Nuh-uh, Mommy. You are!”

The woman picked up her daughter and left a kiss on her nose. “We both are. How about that?”

“Hmm…” Chloe tapped her finger on her chin and looked to be deeply in thought. “Ok! We both are! Are we princesses, Mommy?”

“Why can’t I be the queen?”

“Because you’re too young, Mommy. Queen’s are old. Duh.”

Hannah crouched down to her sitting daughter’s level and looked her right in the eye. “One day, you’ll get the biggest inheritance I can leave you. Keep up the good work, Kid.”

“Can I have chocolate milk with my Fruity Pebbles, Mommy?”

“And then that happens. Sure thing, Kiddo. Whatever your weird little heart desires.” Hannah pulled the accommodating breakfast items off shelves and out of the fridge and prepared the meal.

After Hannah had dropped her charming yet odd child off at preschool, she stopped at the market to grab food that she was pretty sure that she wasn’t going to end up making. Grocery shopping always made her hungry. She learned very early on that if she wanted to retain her sanity, she couldn’t shop with Chloe. She’d have to go during school hours when she was the hungriest and the busiest.

Chloe wasn’t the pickiest eater, but she was picky enough. The only cereal she ate was Fruity Pebbles, and she preferred it in chocolate milk. She even had a certain bowl that she ate it out of.

Okay, maybe picky wasn’t the right word. Chloe was particular. _That’s not mean to think, is it?_

Hannah shrugged at her inner thoughts and grabbed the biggest box of cereal that she could find on the shelf and made her way to the front of the store, eyeing the wine section as she went. That’s when she saw him.

The brunette slowed to a stop, and it took her a minute to realize that she was gawking at some stranger in the middle of the wine aisle at the grocery store. She didn’t usually stare at people she didn’t know in such a conspicuous manner, so she hid behind the end cap of another aisle and peered around the corner.

She recognized him, sort of. She remembered seeing him somewhere before. It was brief, but she couldn’t forget that face. He was either on the tv or guest lectured at the college she took online courses at. He was familiar, but she just couldn’t put her finger on it.

The man was looking through the bottles of white wine with his tongue stuck out in deep concentration. His fingers were hovering over the labels he was reading, and he looked so adorably lost. The wine bottles were lucky to have so much attention paid to them by such a wonderfully interesting man. He needed help, though. That much she could tell.

_Don’t just stand there like a loon, Hannah._ _Here’s a wonderful opportunity to meet someone new. It could be quick and painless. Chloe wouldn’t even have to meet him. Not that I’d put her through that anyway. Not again._

_Just do it. There’s no shame in making new friends. Besides you’re curious about where you recognize him from anyway…_

“Uh.” Hannah’s canvas covered feet moved faster than her brain. “You look like you’re having some trouble picking out a wine.”

The man turned to look at her with a brief expression of surprise then licked his lips.

_Oh, man_ , she thought. _That could kill me._

He looked back at the bottles and then nodded. “I’m not a big wine connoisseur. I know all the types of wine and what goes best with what food pairings but it’s for a birthday gift. I’m not quite so sure what she’d prefer.”

_Her?_

“Well, does she like a certain brand or type? Or does she like to try different kinds out sometimes?” Hannah walked up until she was just barely a few feet from him.

“I’m not actually sure. It’s embarrassing, really. I have an eidetic memory. One would think I can remember what’s had in my presence

Hannah brushed some hair behind her ear and winced. “I hope she’s not a girlfriend; otherwise you’d be in _loads_ of trouble..”

The man blushed a little. “Ah, no. She’s just a very good friend. One I wouldn’t want to upset. She deserves the best.”

“Aw,” the woman smiled earnestly. “She sounds important. But it also sounds like you shouldn’t overthink it. I’m sure whatever you choose, she’ll enjoy it. Just make this choice from your heart and stick a meaningful card with it. Girls can be suckers for cards. Or maybe that’s just me…”

He looked back at the shelving. “What would you suggest?”

“Who? _Me_?” Hannah put a hand to her chest in surprise.

“Yeah. You’re a girl. You seem like you would make good wine decisions. What would you go for?”

“Honestly?” Hannah reached up and wrapped her non-manicured fingers around a bottle on the middle shelf and pulled it down. “This one.”

The man took the wine after she held it out to him and read the label. “ _Kendall-Jackson Riesling_. Why is this the one you picked?”

The words weren’t critical, just pure curiosity.

“Well, that’s an easy one. It’s my favorite! If it’s at any restaurant I go to, it’s the first thing out of my mouth. Well, that and cheese sticks. I love my cheese sticks.”

Hannah met the man’s eyes after her almost daydream and stopped short. “Was that weird?” 

He shook his head and gave a small smile. “No, cheese sticks are delicious. Did you know cheese has historical roots dating back as far as 6,000 BC? And that about 20 million metric tons of cheese gets produced every year? And I guess I should have warned you about that…”

“About what?” Hannah had cocked her head to the side in brief confusion.

The man scratched the back of his head and looked away. “About how I just say random things that no one asked about. I just...spurt them out.”

“If you know it, flaunt it. Intelligence is very attractive. Use it, just don’t be a jerk about it. Maybe you can use it to turn that very close friend into something else, hmm?” Hannah bumped his shoulder in an easy going way.

“Oh, no. Penelope already has somebody. I’m kind of the baby of the office. She’s very protective of me.”

“Oh yeah? Where do you work? Or, if that’s too abrasive, what do you do?” _He’s single! I can’t do anything about that, but I can feel less guilty about it at least._

He looked around. “I uh...I work in the F.B.I. Behavioral Analysis Unit, to be precise.”

“That’s where I know you from!”

The quick outburst made him jump slightly, and he wondered for a brief second if it was a mistake to say such intimate details to someone he didn’t even know.

“Uh…”

“You guest lectured at the college I’m taking online courses at. You’re Dr. Spencer Reid! I couldn’t figure it out! It was right at the tip of my tongue. And I’m totally spazzing out now.”

Spencer laughed an honest laugh and held the bottle of wine close to his chest. “Don’t worry about it. Honestly, it’s not as bad as you think.”

“Oh yeah? Wanna take a bet? I saw you as I was passing this aisle and wanted a reason to approach you because you were so familiar, I couldn’t figure out why. So I hid behind that end cap right over there for 5 minutes. I was trying to figure out when to come over here, if ever at all.”

“So you were stalking me because I looked familiar?”

“Well, that and-” Hannah abruptly shut up, and a bright flush overcame her cheeks. “Uh.”

“And why? Now I’m curious.” Spencer stepped closer to her.

Well, crap. “And uh…”

Spencer watched as Hannah licked her lips and hummed to herself. The woman subconsciously rubbed her right arm as she bit her bottom lip. 

_Oh, for goodness sakes._

“Because I wanted to know you. When you were standing there, in the middle of the wine aisle, you looked like someone I wanted to know.”

“And now? Am I still someone you’d want to know?”

Hannah met his eyes and smiled. “Hi, I’m Hannah Cameron, and you are definitely worth getting to know.”

Hannah reached out a hand, and Spencer took it, shaking it. Her blush faded a tinge, but their eyes never left each other. She hoped he was worth getting to know. Being a single parent tended to be a turnoff, but she just couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that she got. Maybe Spencer was different?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I really didn't think I’d make Wine into anything more than a blurb to get my mind to stop racing at night. I’m so glad you guys liked it! Thank you for all the kind words! I’m not sure how long this is going to be. Follow me on Tumblr @ passionate-hedgehog.

Spencer’s name lit up Hannah’s phone screen for the umpteenth time one night, a week after they met. They had decided to get to know each other, because the other person was worth it, and talked over lunch. The deli in the grocery store had been a favorite place for the brunette to eat. The agent had mentioned that he had never tried it, so she made it her mission to show him how great it was. They had got to talking, and they clicked. It wasn’t as if they had so many things in common, but their personalities fit so well.

Hannah had just laid her daughter down for the night when she heard the text tone go off. Their conversations had been constant and diverse. They rarely stayed on the topic longer than a day, and if they did, it was because they were just so interested in the other person. The single mother couldn’t remember the last time she felt like that.

Swiping her finger across her screen, Hannah opened the most recent text and giggled quietly, so she didn’t wake Chloe. What had appeared on her screen was a picture taken from Halloween of Spencer scaring the living daylights out of one of his coworkers. Someone had captured it on their phone and sent him the picture.

_That’s Derek, right? The one that’s like a big brother to you?_

Hannah sat the phone down to put a load of laundry into the washer and set the machine. After she had picked up a full basket of clean clothes, she grabbed her phone and made her way to the living room. She set the basket down and read his reply.

_~Yeah. I do it to him every year, but he never learns._

~She gave another giggle. _Apparently not. Is it just him that you try to scare?_

_~It’s a long running thing between us. We had a prank battle a year or so back._

_~Is it what you imagined having a sibling would be like when you were younger?_

_~Sorta. If I had a brother, I mean. I don’t think I’d want to play jokes on my sister if I had one. I don’t actually know. I picture what I’d want as far as having siblings, but I’m not sure if it’s a real concept? I hear too many stories about older siblings being terrible to their nerdy younger brothers and sisters._

_~Yeah, I guess. But what if it were the other way around, Spence? What if you were the big brother? What do you think you’d be like?_

A reply didn’t come as fast as the others. When Hannah set her phone down to attempt to get actual folding done, she was surprised at her phone’s ringtone going off. She accepted the call. The phone was cradled between her head and shoulder as she continued with her chore.

“Are your fingers tired from typing on your dinosaur phone, Grandpa?”

“I’ll have you know that my phone has a higher chance of surviving a trip to the floor and a smaller chance of getting stolen. So there.”

She raised an eyebrow at Spencer’s voice inflection. “Did you just stick your tongue out at me over the phone where I can’t see you?”

“I guess you’ll never know.”

“Oh, real mature. Maybe I was wrong about the ‘Grandpa’ comment. You’re more like a toddler.”

The two ‘adults’ shared a small laugh, and then there was a comfortable silence between the two. They didn’t say anything to each other, just listened to the sounds around them and what they could hear through the phone. Spencer was the one to break it, though.

“I missed your voice. That’s why I called.”

The woman put the shirt she was folding in her lap and bit her bottom lip, giving a silent smile.

“Hannah? Was that too much? Too forward? I’m sorry if I just made that weird. I wasn’t sure if-”

“Spencer!” She called his name to get him to stop rambling, even if it _was_ cute. “Sweetie, it wasn’t too much. It was...endearing. And if I were to be honest, it gave me the sweetest kind of butterflies. Thank you, for not finding it annoying.”

“Never! It calms me after a long day at work. I just wish I could hear it more often. Thank you for being my very own mug of chamomile tea.”

Hannah was conflicted. She craved to be for Spencer what he was implying, to be able to see and talk to him more, but she wasn’t sure. She knew she couldn’t get too deeply involved with him until she was sure he’d stick around. When Hannah first started dating after Chloe’s dad, she made some mistakes. So Hannah let some people into her and her daughter's lives who didn’t deserve to be there. Yet, she felt she had to do a better job with it.

“That, for sure, just set some alarms in your head. That’s the longest you’ve gone without responding. I’m sorry if I said something wrong. It wasn’t my intention to make you uncomfortable. I value our friendship very much.”

“It wasn’t you, Spencer. I just… It’s complicated.” Hannah played with the loose threads on the old shirt still sitting in her lap, unfolded. “It’s never you. You, my dear, treat me very well.”

“If I can ask, what happened? I know you said that there was a bad experience you had. I just want to make sure I don’t make any repeats.”

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Hannah closed her bluish-green eyes. “I lost someone very close to me. We got into this massive fight that we were never able to come back from and now we can never mend our relationship. I just don’t want to make the same mistakes that he and I made. Our friendship means a lot to me, too, Spencer. You’re imperative to me, and I want to keep it like that.”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

“Yeah,” Hannah replied softly almost as if she wasn’t sure she believed it.

“Hey, I need to head to bed. It’s getting late, and I can already feel the large caseload for tomorrow. I’ll text you when I can, okay?”

“Yes, of course. I have an appointment with the elementary school in the morning, but I’ll be free after that.”

“You got the interview?! Hannah, that’s great! We’ll have to celebrate when I get back into town. I’m so proud of you!”

“Whoa there, Cowboy. It’s just an interview. I don’t have the job.” Rolling her eyes, Hannah gave a soft chuckle.

“But you will. They’d be _moronic_ not to give it to you.”

“Thank you, Spencer. The confidence boost means a lot. I’ll tell you about it as soon as I can, alright? Now get to sleep. You have a long day ahead of you.”

“You’re right. I’ll be good and go to bed. Goodnight, Hannah.”

After giving a soft “sweet dreams,” Hannah ended the call and released a heavy breath. Spencer was proving to be an excellent man and a viable friend, but she was still unsure about telling him everything. She was worried about Chloe and her getting too close to someone that would leave and break her like Alec had broken Hannah.

\- - -

The next day came and nearly left without a word from Spencer. At almost midnight he sent a text letting her know they indeed had a major case in a city many miles away. They had worked their butts off that day and didn’t catch many leads. _It was exhausting_ one of his texts had read. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what it was like doing what he did. Somehow, though, he still found the energy to give her a surprise call before she fell asleep for the night.

“I thought you’d want to get some rest as soon as you could, given your day. Is everything okay, Spence?”

“Hmm, yes? No? I don’t...”

Hannah sat up in her bed at that response and gave her full attention to her friend on the other end. “What’s wrong?”

“This case. I can’t stop thinking about these kids. They’re so young and little, and this guy is just tearing them into pieces like they’re some toy he’s throwing a tantrum with. I can’t get it out of my mind wondering what they could be thinking about in their last moments.”

“Oh, Lord. Spencer, that’s terrible. In pieces??? Like… their arms and legs?”

“It’s horrible, Hannah. There’s no way these children have done anything to deserve it, and I don’t know. I want to be there for them. Kid’s cases are always the hardest. They probably aren't even aware that there’s this kind of evil in the world. They couldn’t of have been warned. And to make it worse, they didn’t have a family.”

“Orphans. Were they homeless or foster kids?” Hannah got out of bed and walked down the hallway towards Chloe’s bedroom.

“Both.”

His voice indicated he was on the edge of hysterics and Hannah wished for nothing more than to be able to hold her friend and will all the bad things away. She wanted to run her hands through his hair like she did when her daughter had a nightmare and tell him he was safe with her.

“I wish I could make it go away, Spencer. But you will. You’ll find this guy and stop him from going for other children.” She silently opened her daughter’s bedroom door and watched her sleep, taking comfort in knowing the three-year-old was right where she was supposed to be.

“I want to save them. All of them. It’s so hard to see their faces and know that we didn’t do anything to stop it.”

Hannah closed the door as quietly as she opened it and stepped away. “But you are! And you guys will save them.”

“If they had families, they’d be safe. If they had reliable foster parents or if they were adopted.”

“Are you saying you’d want to do that, someday?”

“I don’t know, maybe?”

The brunette held her breath and let Spencer think.

“Yeah. I would, I do. I want to be someone that they can rely on for more than police protection.”

“That’s very noble, Spencer. I hope you get your wish. You’d, at the very least, be a great big brother.”

“What about you? Being a mom?”

She smiled at her daughter’s door and walked back into her room. “I think it would be the most important thing I could ever do.”

“Would you foster? Or adopt, even?”

“If I had the means to, I would. If I can give all my love to a child that doesn’t know what being loved is, then I would do it without regrets.”

“Thank you.”

“For what?” Hannah slid back into bed and put the covers back over her.

“For answering my call and letting me talk. It helped. I agree with my earlier sentiment about you being like a cup of chamomile tea. You relax me like no other and bring me back from some terrifying places.”

The man never ceased to make Hannah feel good about herself. “I’m glad I could help. Now, get some sleep so you can save those kids. I’ll see you when you get home. Don’t be afraid to call me when you feel like you’re drowning.”

“Hannah, I...thank you. Sweet dreams.”

“Sweet dreams, Spencer.” She ended the call and laid her head down after she put her phone on the nightstand.

If there was anything about Spencer that she was positive of, it was that he was quickly becoming her best friend and confidant. She swam in the amazing feeling she got knowing he trusted her with his hardest days and toughest feelings.

_Spencer Reid, I think you may be getting in under my skin, and I don’t want you to leave._


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point, I’m so in love with this story, I have zero cares about how many people like it. It’s that important to me. If you have been reading the installments, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
> 
> I had these big plans for this story but when I finished season 5 (?), I discovered the writer’s thought nearly the same thing. Some things will seem familiar but I’m still going with my original plans, but I digress.

“Thank you so much for doing this, Hannah. I know it was super last minute, but I’m incredibly grateful that you agreed.” A brunette woman around Hannah’s age held eye contact with her dear friend. She was overly stressed, but she had to let the other woman know she owed Hannah her life.

“Honestly, Mel, it’s no biggie. I’m happy to help out. You’re the bride. You shouldn’t have to worry about keeping the kids busy during the reception. It was a brilliant idea, though. To have something to keep them occupied.” Hannah and Mel were tying ribbons around bundles of crayons and binding hand-made coloring books.

“It is a biggie. I’ve had this idea longer than I’ve known Justin. It was something that I’ve always known I wanted during my reception.”

Between tying the crayons and assembling the books, the two women enjoyed flutes of non-alcoholic sparkling beverages. They were lounging on the floor of Mel’s apartment. It was the night before the rehearsal dinner, and everything was down to the wire. Hannah had agreed to help Mel out to ease her frustrations. The bride-to-be had an arsenal of people behind her, but she was glad Hannah was the one with her that evening. It was some good quality time that they just didn’t seem to get anymore.

“Well, whatever the matter, I’m glad we’re getting this time together. I haven’t really seen you since…well since you started seeing Justin way back when. Not that I’ve been all that available either.”

“Speaking of Chloe…”

“We weren’t really speaking of Chloe, but okay…”

“And speaking of your new beau…”

“Okay.” Hannah set her crayons and ribbon on the floor and gave Mel her full attention. “Where are you going with this?”

“Cutting to the chase, have you decided on your plus one?”

“Chloe wants to go. You know that.” Hannah resumed her job with the crayons.

“Fair. Fair.” Mel fiddled with a ribbon. “But she doesn’t count.”

“Wait, did you call Spencer my ‘new beau’? Really, Mel?”

“Are you bringing him?”

Hannah paused before giving her reply. “Is this why I’m really here? So you can question me?”

“Will you stop evading my questions? It’s my wedding.” Mel watched as Hannah stood up. “Where are you going?”

“I want more fake champagne. I want to pretend it’s real and full of tequila instead.”

Mel stood up and followed her friend out into the kitchen. “Come on, Hannah. Even if you’re not bringing him, is it serious?”

Hannah’s hand froze on the door to the fridge. “Mel!”

“I just want to be sure that you’re happy. I know you're perfectly capable of being without a man, but I just want to know that you’re okay. And that Chloe is okay. The two of you deserve nothing but the best.”

The woman in question couldn’t look her friend in the eyes. She hummed quietly as she opened the fridge and stared off into space. Chloe does deserve the best, but is that Spencer? Is he what’s best for her? “He doesn’t even know her.”

“What was that?”

Hannah closed the fridge and looked at her friend. “Spencer has never met Chloe. He doesn’t even know she exists.”

“He doesn’t know you have a kid?! Hannah!”

“I know! I know it’s not good, okay? This isn’t something I should keep from him, but I-I don’t know what else to do. I can’t just tell him.”

“And why the heck not? ‘Hey Spencer, I have a daughter. I didn’t tell you before because I had to put her and her safety first.’ Seems easy to me.”

“It’s not. I mean it is but…It’s not. I can’t just…” Hannah ran her hand through her hair. “It’s so complicated.”

“Okay…tell me about him, about Spencer. What’s he like?” The two women sat at the kitchen table, their drinks being completely forgotten.

“He’s smart. Like high IQ smart. He works for the government but not as some highbrow…rich…narcissist that sells out for the next big paycheck. He likes to read, and he can read many words very fast. He’s taller than me which is a feat all on its own. He’s gentle and thoughtful…. He wants to be more than friends, but he respects my desire for space. He doesn’t ask abrasive questions, and he’s caring. He checks in with me every day, even when his job takes him across the country.”

“How does he look at you?”

“I dunno. Like people look at people?”

“No, silly. I mean, how does Spencer look at the woman he wants to be more than friends with?”

“With his eyes. Mel, I don’t know.”

Mel rolled her eyes. “Mkay, Little Miss. Let’s go finish the coloring books.”  
\- - -

Hours before the wedding ceremony, Chloe developed a fever. Hannah hadn’t been sure what she was going to do. She couldn’t miss the wedding, but she couldn’t just leave her daughter in the hands of a caretaker while she went out to have a good time. When she checked her daughter’s temperature an hour and a half before she had to be at the church, it was the same.

“Chloe, Baby, how are you feeling?” Hannah sat next to her daughter in the bed and swept the hair from the child’s face.

“My head hurts, Mommy.”

“I think you have an ear infection, Sweetie. Maybe we should stay in and cuddle today. How does that sound?”

“But Auntie Mel’s s’posed to get married today! We were going to wear pretty dresses and look like princesses! Mommy!”

“I know, but you’re sick, and wouldn’t you rather stay in and watch Frozen? We can watch Mulan and Hercules, too.” The mother tucked the blankets tighter around her daughter, trying to coax her into being relaxed.

“Okay. Can I just sleep?”

“Of course, Baby. Sleep as much as you want.”

“Night night, Mommy.”

Hannah kissed her daughter on the forehead and slid off of the bed before leaving the bedroom. She pulled out her phone to text Mel’s younger sister about the situation but stopped when she discovered a text from Spencer.

**I got home earlier than expected. Thank goodness.**

Hannah swiped at her screen before sending a text to Millie, Mel’s sister, and then one to Spencer.

**Chloe has an ear infection. We’ll be staying in today. Give Mel my love!/ I bet that feels nice, getting relaxation time!**

The replies came in almost simultaneously. Hannah went into her living room and sat on the couch to type out her responses to each.

**At least you get a small break from being at the office or in an office in a different state. / Thanks, Millie. Chloe was devastated about missing the wedding. She wanted to wear the dress she picked out for today. But I got a lot of inner ear infections at this age. I should have seen it coming. Like mother, like daughter.**

The responses didn’t come back as fast, and Hannah took the time to close her eyes. She’d have to run to the store to get children’s Tylenol and Gatorade, but she couldn’t take Chloe with her. She was weighing her options when the text tone chimed from her cell phone.

**What office? What small break?**

Hannah looked at the text and then at the sender. Millie. _Wait, if Millie got the text about the office, then that means the one about Chloe went to_ … She scrolled through her phone. The text about Chloe’s ear infection went to Spencer. _Oh, no._

The brunette sent a text to Millie apologizing about the mix-up and tried to send a text to Spencer to explain the mix up to him, but she couldn’t. What was she supposed to say? What could she say? She tried so hard to keep her daughter and her love life separate, and there was a good chance it went out the window.

When Spencer didn’t reply after twenty minutes, and then almost an hour, Hannah assumed he got busy and just hadn’t been able to read it yet. Maybe she wouldn’t have to explain anything to him. Maybe he didn’t- Her thoughts were cut off by the doorbell ringing.

When Hannah opened the door, what she saw was not what she was expecting. Spencer stood in her doorway. With a CVS bag in his left hand and a book in his right, the agent gave a small smile and mumbled a greeting.

“Can I come in?”

“Uh. Sure?” Hannah held the door all the way open so the man could walk inside. “What brings you by on your unexpected day off?”

He held up the CVS bag. “I bought children’s Tylenol and Gatorade. “

“Oh. And the book?” Hannah asked in a soft voice.

“These are little stories I tell my godson when he’s sick. In case his mom is unavailable, and his dad is at work. I thought Chloe might like it if you read them to her? If she likes to be read to.” He didn’t sound confident, and he wouldn’t look at her face.

“She does. Thank you, Spencer. You didn’t have to do this. It means a lot to me. Especially since I didn’t know how I was going to get to the store myself.” Hannah took the bag he had offered to her.

“It’s no problem. I wasn’t sure if you had anything. It’s never a bad thing to be prepared. Acute otitis media is common in children, especially if their parents were prone to it when they were kids.”

“Acute otit…? She has been getting a lot of them this spring. I don’t remember getting this many in such a short amount of time. I’m kinda worried.”

Spencer laid a gentle hand on her arm. “It could be allergies. It could be something totally every day. I wouldn’t be too worried. I’m a doctor.”

“You have a doctorate. You’re not my pediatrician. But good try, Hun.” 

Hannah invited Spencer into the living room, and to have a seat. She set the bag on the coffee table and took out the children’s Tylenol. Her nerves were wracked, but she couldn’t focus on anything other than getting Chloe her medicine.

“I’m going to go run this to Chloe, don’t move. I’ll be right back.” She left the room and walked down the hall to her daughter’s room. “Chloe, Sweetie, I have some stuff to make you feel better.

Walking into the room, the mother sat on the bed next to her child and poured some of the medicine into the proffered cup on the cap of the bottle. She handed it to her not yet sleeping child. Chloe took it and drank it, not before making a face at it.

“Mommy, I don’t like it.”

“I know, but I’m really happy that you took it.” She kissed her child on the forehead. “Chlobug, do you want to stay up for a little bit and come out into the living room? We can snuggle under the blanket and watch movies.”

Giving a nod, Chloe grabbed her stuffed Panda and wordlessly asked to be picked up.

“I got you, Love. Let’s go.” Hannah lifted the three-year-old and her stuffed panda and carried her into the living room. “I have a friend that’s visiting. Do you want to meet him?”

“Is he your boyfriend, Mommy?” Chloe asked with her face in her mommy’s neck.

Hannah looked at Spencer knowing he heard the question. “Well, why don’t we just see how awesome he is first. I think you’ll like him. He even brought you something.”

“For me? “

“Uh-huh.” Hannah sat on the couch next to Spencer. “Chloe, this is Spencer.”

“Hi, Chloe.” The man called softly. “How are you?”

The child shrugged, still hidden in her mom’s arms.

“I brought something I thought might make you feel better. My nephew likes it when he’s sick. Can I show you?”

Chloe nodded and turned in her spot to face him. “What is it?”

Spencer pulled the book from the other side of his cushion and showed it to the little girl. “Do you like to read?”

“I like it when Mommy reads to me. She can say the big words really good.” Chloe eyed the cover of the book, with its dragons and fairies. “Are there princesses?”

“Do fairy princesses count?”

Chloe nodded.

“Then yes. There’s a princess in here. Her name is Ileana. She actually saves a kingdom.”

The little girl crawled out of her mother’s arms and leaned against Spencer’s to see the book better.

“Oh, you’ve done it now. She loves princesses. Especially the kind that save the kingdom.” Hannah watched her child move into Spencer’s personal space while shaking her head.

“Like Anna!” Chloe squealed.

“Like Anna.”

“Anna?” Spencer asked, not sure who they were talking about.

“You’ve never seen Frozen?” Mother and daughter called in unison. Chloe nearly screamed the question while Hannah raised an eyebrow.

“No. Was it a fairy tale first? I would know it by that.”

Hannah shrugged. “I don’t know, but I think you just lost some points with Little Miss over here.”

“Mommy, can we show ‘Pencer Anna and Elsa?”

“Maybe later. I thought you wanted him to read this story to you?”

“Oh yeah! ‘Pencer, can you read this to me, please? Maybe I can tell you about Anna and Elsa later.” Chloe was still leaning against the man’s arm but used her hand to hold her mother’s as if to subconsciously make sure she was included.

“I’d like that, Chloe.”

Spencer opened the book and began to tell the story about a Princess from far off who tried to save a kingdom whether or not the king, her dad, wanted her to. Chloe, who had officially snuggled deep into Spencer’s side, had her eyes trained on the pages of the book the whole time. The man could tell she was absorbing everything that he was saying. When they finished the story, both heads turned towards Hannah who had been silent since the start. She was curled up against the other corner of the couch, her eyes closed.

“’Pencer, I’m hungry. Can I have some cereal?”

“Uh.” The man in question thought it through and didn’t see the harm in her having a small bowl.” Sure. Can you show me where the stuff is?”

“Uh-huh!” In her excitement, Chloe jumped off the couch and pulled Spencer with her into the kitchen. “It’s in that cupboard up there.”

Spencer followed the direction her finger was pointing in and opened the door. “We have Fruity Pebbles and Frosted Flakes. Which one is yours?”

“Pebbles! Fruity Pebbles!” The girl called from Spencer’s side. “The bowl is in that other cupboard.”

The federal agent moved to the other cabinet and opened the doors to that one, too. He saw a dishware collection of white plates and white bowls. He saw, however, a small bowl with horses on it and what looked like a forest.

“Is this your bowl?”

“Uh-huh. It’s my cereal bowl. It’s only for my cereal. But I think Mommy uses it sometimes. Don’t tell her I know. I don’t want her to think I’m upset.”

Spencer went to the fridge to find the milk while Chloe sat at the table. She had to explain to him that the chocolate milk was for her cereal and she never ever ate regular milk with it. The man was beginning to learn that the little girl had certain things exactly how she wanted them. He didn’t dare upset the way things were.

“You can have some too. Just don’t tell Mommy I shared with you. It’s a secret.”

Spencer grabbed a bowl and sat at the table with Chloe. “Why is it a secret?”

“I don’t want her to know.”

“Why?”

“Because then things would change, duh. But you don’t have any cereal here, and I want to share with you.” Chloe continued to eat her cereal.

Spencer mulled her words in her mind. Wouldn’t he be a change, then? Upsetting the balance that’s so precious to the little girl.

“Am I a change? Is it okay if I’m Mommy’s friend?” He suddenly felt afraid of how she saw him. He thought he was getting close to Hannah, in the beginning, but now Spencer knew he had to impress Chloe first.

“No, you have to be Mommy’s friend.”

“I have to? Why?”

Chloe didn’t seem like she wanted to answer the question. “I don’t want to get in trouble.”

“Why would you get in trouble?”

The little girl still didn’t seem to like the conversation. “Because Mommy told me not to listen to adult conversations.”

Had Hannah been talking about him? “Okay. If you don’t feel like you can tell me, then that’s alright. I don’t want you to get in trouble. I’m sure Mommy would forgive you, though.”

“She really likes you. And she’s really happy after she talks to you on the phone.”

That made Spencer smile. “She makes me happy, too. I’m glad that you approve of me.”

At that, Chloe looked at him with a confused look on her face. “What does ‘aproof’ mean?”

"To ‘approve of me’ means that you’re okay with me being Mommy’s friend. And that I can still spend time with her. Is that okay?“ Spencer didn’t realize how much he wanted to be a part of Hannah’s life until the relationship depended on what Chloe felt.

The little girl smiled through her cereal, her cheeks puffing out like she was a chipmunk.

"Well well well. Look who’s cool enough to get the Fruity Pebbles and the chocolate milk.” Hannah called from the doorway. She leaned against the frame with her arms crossed.

“Whoops. We didn’t hide that very well, did we, Chloe?”

“I wanted to be a good girl and share. Is that okay, Mommy?”

Hannah walked into the kitchen and kissed the top of her daughter’s head. “Of course it’s okay, Sweetie. It’s always nice to share.”

“Thank you for sharing with me, Chloe. I liked the cereal very much.”

The little blonde girl smiled up at her mom’s friend and finished chewing her mouthful. “Can I show 'Pencer Frozen now?”

“Sure, Chlobug. Why don’t you go get the DVD and I'll set it up.” Hannah watched her daughter jump off the chair and run into the other room, leaving the two adults alone.

Spencer stood up from where he was sitting at the table and grabbed his dirty dishes. “Do you have a dishwasher or should I do them by hand before the movie?”

“Just put them in the sink. Don’t worry about them. If you miss the movie, you’ll have one devastated little girl. You don’t want that, trust me.”

“She’s different than what I expected.”

“Yeah?” Hannah asked. “I’d ask, but we should get moving before she sends in the masses. She has quite a stuffed bear collection.”

“Sounds dangerous.”

“Oh,” Hannah gave a semi-serious glare. “It is. They can be terrifying. Especially Mr. Scissors. He’s not someone to mess around with.”

“Mr. Scissors?”

“Let’s go. You’re in for an awakening. Never watched Frozen…pfft.”

The three were sitting on the couch, Hannah next to Spencer and Chloe in Hannah’s lap. It had started getting dark out, but Chloe’s attention to Anna and Elsa could not be broken. Not a single word had been spoken through the movie, and that had been hard for Spencer. He wanted to ask questions, but he knew the little blonde girl really wanted to see her favorite princesses on the tv. He gave a soft smile, and his eyes lit up when she started to sing along with the characters.

By the time Anna punched Hans into the water, Chloe had made her way out of her mom’s arms and into Spencer’s. She was curled into his side with his arm holding her to him. Her eyes were drooping, and her face was a little bit red.

Spencer caught Hannah’s eye and gave a pointed look to the child.

“Chloe, Baby, are you feeling alright?”

The little girl shook her head and gave a small shrug. “My head hurts again.”

“Aw, Sweet Pea. Let’s get you some more Tylenol, and you can go lay down. It’s getting late anyway. We had a fun day, though, right?” The woman stood up and lifted her daughter into her arms.

“I had fun. Thank you for reading to me earlier, 'Pencer.”

“Thank you for showing me your favorite movie.”

“Alright, you little Gremlin. Let’s get you settled in for the night.” Hannah gave her daughter a soft kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be right back, Spencer.”

Minutes went by, and Hannah found herself back in the living room with her friend. She plopped down onto the couch next to him and gave a deep sigh of relief. She ran her fingers through her hair and leaned her head back.

“Is she all settled in for the night?”

“Mhmm.”

“Good.” Spencer stood up and pulled out an mp3 player. “Because I think you had plans earlier today that you couldn’t fulfill.”

At that, Hannah opened her eyes. “What? Do you even own an mp3 player?”

“No.” He messed with some buttons until a familiar tune could be heard. When he was done fiddling with the technology, he offered her his hand. “But I know you missed out on a dance or two tonight.”

“Baptists don’t dance.”

“But it’s a wedding reception. It’s a thing.”

“Baptists not dancing is a thing. And it was a Baptist wedding. So there’s that.”

Spencer wracked his brain for a reason to get her to stand up. “May I have this dance, even though they didn’t dance at the reception?”

Smiling, Hannah took the proffered hand and joined him. Chopin’s Spring Waltz played from the mp3. Spencer pulled Hannah to him. He placed one hand on her lower back and used the other hand to hold one of her own. She wound her free hand around the man, and the two swayed in tune.

“This is nice, Spencer. Thank you. You’re just full of surprises today.”

“Hmm. I’m not the only one. You’re just pulling kids out of nowhere.”

Hannah chuckled. “Oh, she came from somewhere. Twelve hours of labor are proof of that.”

“You did good work.”

“Thank you. I like to think so. You did a good job, too, today.” Hannah licked her lips as if she didn’t want to continue with her train of thought.

“I don’t want to say good-bye. Hannah, please don’t-”

“Spencer.” She cut off his words. “We can’t…I can’t…”

“If there was a part of today that didn’t go well, then tell me what it was. I want to prove to you that I’m able to do this.”

“You did great. Especially since the way it came out was less than desirable. I couldn’t be more grateful for who I’m friends with right now. You’re more than I could have asked for.”

Spencer and Hannah paused their movements but kept their hands in their respective positions. “What can I do?”

“Just give it time. I’ve never even told Chloe about you. I probably went about this the wrong way, but I need to keep her first. She’s more important than any relationship I could ever have.” The mother of one looked him in the eyes. “I think that right now, time and space would be best. If after some deep-thinking you decide that this is something that you want, then we’ll talk. But you need to process all of this and if we were to continue this right now and you wanted to leave…that could destroy Chloe. I can’t do that.”

Spencer licked his lips and leaned into Hannah. Wordlessly, he pressed his lips to hers and pulled away after a moment. He withdrew from her personal space and grabbed his mp3 player.

“I’m ready whenever you are. I don’t want to let you go. I’ll be waiting.”

Hannah watched, silently, as Spencer grabbed his things, slipped on his shoes, and walked out the door. She was doing what was best, right? She hoped with all of her heart that she didn’t just make the biggest mistake. Chloe was her focal point, but Spencer had grown to be important, too. All she knew, was that the brief amount of time they shared altogether gave her hope and a want for a future she never knew was possible.


End file.
